Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915 Letters 1916-1923 Maria Duffin

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Letter from Maria Duffin (1854-1954) to her daughter, Celia (1888-1979). In this letter she urges Celia to contribute something to the Hospital magazine Celia Duffin, born in 1888, was one of Adam and Maria Duffin's nine children. She attended the Cheltenham Ladies College. She served in the Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D.) during the First World War. Celia Duffin along with her sister Ruth published a book of poems titled ""Escape Poem" (illustrated by their sister Emma Duffin) and published by Maunsell & Co. Ltd in 1929. This letter is part of a rich correspondence between various members of the Duffin family, a large prosperous family living in Strandtown, Belfast. Several family members served in the war, including Major Terence Duffin, who served as a staff officer with 107 Brigade, and later with Royal Irish Rifles; Major Charles G Duffin MC, Royal Field Artillery; and their sisters Emma, Celia and Dorothy who served as Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADS) in Egypt and France, and with the YMCA.

 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland Duffin Papers D2109/9/4/C/11 https://letters1916.ie/item/2630 English Maria Duffin 1916-12-09 Dunowen Belfast, Ireland Celia Duffin 3rd London General Hospital, London, England Female Personal Relations World War I (1914-1918) Personal Relations

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 D2109/9/4/C 3rd London General Hospital Dec. 9th 1915 Dearest Papa Thank you so much for your letter and forthe nice packet of sweets, it was good of you tosend them. When are you going to have somebusiness in London? I should like to have aglimpse of you again. My seven months willsoon be up now and all those who are notsigning on again have to give in their names be-fore the 15th of this month. I think they shouldgive us a holiday in between, but see no chanceof getting one. We are now to get at least£2 a month, (probably more) government allowancewhich is over from our keep, as well asan £20 pay, so I think we are very luckyin that way, the advantage of being underthe war office, as I don't think ordinary in civil hospitals get any pay at all, or verylittle. I am rather sick at being put on night dutyagain, especially as I had to change myrooms and move into a night house where Idon't know any of the nurses. Fortunatelymy stable companion, a Miss Gosse, is a verynice girl who has travelled about theworld a lot. This ward is full of Australians and NewZealanders, nice big men, but much morefree and easy than the British tommy,some of them have lived in the wild alltheir lives, and they are all looking for-ward to seeing snow for the first time.They make me laugh sometimes, They have such queerexpressions and ways of putting things; onehas just asked me to put the block ofwood in that hole, meaning that hewanted the door shut. Dinkum is agreat expression with them all, meaningyes, really. Two of them here aremaoris and can talk to each other insome unknown tongue. I have awfultrouble in getting them up in the mornings, asthey must be dressed and their beds madewhen the day nurses come on, unless theyare bed patients. They try all sorts of tricks,and pretend the doctor has ordered themback to bed. To-night when I came on duty,one of them would creep out of bed andswitch all the lights out, so that I had to gropemy way up the ward in the dark, and whenI got back to my seat again, out they allwent again. I am having my night off on Friday, soI expect I shall go to Epsom and spendthe night there. Have you been playing any golf lately? notif the weather is anything like what we havehere, it has been raining a lot. What do you think of the war news, it allsounds rather depressing at present, but Isuppose we will struggle through in time.The hospital is always warned whenzeppelins are expected, but they never seem to arrive. Is it true that the Arsenal atSt. Petersburg had a German manager andthat it was blown up when war was de-cl and the Russians left with practicallyno ammunition? One hears such a lot ofstories. Emma seems to be enjoying the life atAlexandria, perhaps we may be sentabroad soon, but nobody knows any-thing, and nobody seems to be able to giveyou any information. I cook myself funny meals to keep myselfawake; to-night I have an egg andtomatoes, and last night I fried potatoesand found they tasted much betterstraight from the pan. I hope you are keeping well thiswinter and you throat isn't bothering you.I have made horrid blots over this, butI have to jump up every now and then. Best love, dearest Papa,Ever your own Celia Dunowen Belfast, Ireland Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 14 February, 1916 3rd London General Hospital, London, England Letter from Celia Duffin to Ruth Duffin, 6 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915From Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 9 April 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her sister Ruth, 3 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her aunt, 18 November 1915 Maria Duffin Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 24 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, February 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to Maria Duffin, 5 February 1916Letter from Terence Duffin to Maria Duffin, March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 15 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 25 March 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 30 March 1916Letter from Terrence Duffin to his mother, Maria Duffin, 31 December 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to Maria Duffin, 29 December 2015Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, January 1916Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, circa 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 13 February 1916Letter from Terence Duffin to Maria Duffin, 29 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 6 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 9 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 27 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 14 February, 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 19 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Emma Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 5 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 22 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 10 February 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 31 July 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 27 March 1916Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, 28 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, April 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother, 15 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 3 November 1915.From Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 9 April 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 22 November 1915Letter from Terence Duffin to his mother Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 8 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to Maria Duffin, 28 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, 1 November 1915 Celia Duffin Letter from Emma Duffin to her sister Celia Duffin, 29 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 24 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, February 1916Letter from Helen Duffin to Celia Duffin, 22 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 15 March 1916Letter from Helen Duffin to Celia Duffin, 16 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Ruth Duffin, 6 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Auntie D, 3 December 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to Celia Duffin, 15 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915letter from Anna Duffin to Celia Duffin, 3 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 13 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 6 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 9 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 27 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 14 February, 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 19 March 1916Letter from A. Duffin to Celia Duffin, 2 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 10 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, April 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother, Thursday November,1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 3 November 1915.Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her sister Ruth, 3 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her aunt, 18 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her aunt, 1915